Recipients of the 2014 PiE Alumni Scholarship Announced

After receiving many high quality applications from determined seniors pursuing higher education, the PiE scholarship committee - consisting of PiE staff alumni - faced the tough decision of choosing an applicant to receive the $1000 scholarship.

The committee reviewed each application holistically, considering academic achievement, leadership skills, and extracurricular activities. After much deliberation, the committee selected four finalists from an incredibly strong field of candidates to receive $100 each, as well as the scholarship recipient. Vanathi Ganesh (EECS ‘13), a PiE alumna and a member of the scholarship committee, announced the finalists and scholarship award winner at the award ceremony after final competition.

Meet the finalists below, as described by the Vanathi during final competition during the awards ceremony.

Eliot Alvarez:

The maturity and charism that Eliot showed impressed us. In particular we found that his advice to an eighth grader entering high school insightful. Eliot gives his advice to an eighth grader entering high school: “Students should look ahead at what they’ll hope to achieve in high school and beyond so that they can stay on the right path.” Eliot is looking forward to studying Mechanical Engineering in the fall.

Zhiliang He:

Zhiliang demonstrated incredible effort in mastering english in a very short period of time. He demonstrates both leadership and organizational skills, both important skills that we value in PiE. He has clearly earned the respect of his teammates, and we’re excited to welcome Zhiliang to Cal where he’ll be studying Computer Science.

William Luong:

Recognized by both his mentors and teachers for planning and organizing team meetings as well for mastering CAD in a short period of time, William impressed us with his dedication and enthusiasm in the organizations that he is a part of. We’re excited to welcome William to Cal where he’ll be studying Physics.

Kate Reed:

Kate was a well-rounded candidate who demonstrated a dedication to helping others. Her love for languages has inspired her to pursue Computer Science. We expect that her academic achievements will continue in college and beyond.

Award recipient

Alix Plascensia:

An extremely impressive, self-motivated student, Alix has already achieved a great deal in her academic and professional career at her young age. The maturity and drive she demonstrates is unparalleled, and she hopes to be a great role model for her community. We look forward to seeing her at Cal this fall where she’ll be studying architecture.

We are deeply grateful for the financial and technical support provided by TBP and PiE alumni to explore this new avenue of supporting STEM education in the Bay Area.

If you would also like to support the PiE Alumni Scholarship for next year, please consider making a donation! Any contribution is welcome. Donations can be made to Fund Number 3231 on the Give to Cal website. At the bottom of the form, please write “Scholarship” in the field titled “Special instructions or designations for this gift.